It takes two to tango: effect of calcium on iron levels

07/08/2018

Research led by Centenary Institute scientists has developed a new framework for understanding how iron is transported around the body, making leeway for the development of more targeted therapies for people suffering from iron-related chronic health conditions, such as anaemia.

In a study published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications, a group of international scientists, including three from Centenary, determined that the presence of calcium is required for iron to be transported into the blood stream, and that iron potentially is transported in complex with a metabolite through ferroportin.

“Our findings suggest there could be a relationship between low blood calcium and anaemia. This advances our understanding of how dietary iron is absorbed into the bloodstream, which may aid in the development of strategies to manipulate ferroportin through therapeutics or drugs,” says lead author Dr Chandrika Deshpande from Centenary’s Structural Biology Program.